Montgomery Family 01 - Lost Pleasures Found Read online

  Lost Pleasures Found

  Vikki Vaught

  Copyright © 2011 by Vikki Vaught.

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2010919174

  ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4568-4086-0

  ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4568-4085-3

  ISBN: Ebook 978-1-4568-4087-7

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book was printed in the United States of America.

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  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  CHAPTER 1

  Late July 1814

  AS MELODY GLANCED around the ballroom and observed all the couples dancing, she realized that going to one ball, soiree, or garden party after another exhausted her. She felt relieved that the season was drawing to a close. She was grateful to her aunt for inviting her to visit, and she had met many lovely people, but she missed her parents desperately. As Melody smoothed down the skirt of her shimmering pale yellow evening gown, at one of the last balls of the season, she felt exasperated by the stifling heat. She slipped out of the ballroom and went out onto the terrace to cool off. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the cool summer breeze blowing across the terrace. Her beautiful sherry-colored eyes landed on a myriad of gorgeous flowers in full bloom. She glanced up at the sky and noticed how brightly the stars shone that night. A noise from behind startled her, and she turned around to see the most beautiful man she had ever seen, akin to Adonis. She did not usually think of men as beautiful, but this man was absolutely gorgeous. He was quite tall, at least six feet, with very broad shoulders, and unlike most of the men she had met so far, he did not need to pad his dress coat. As she allowed her eyes to roam further, she noticed that he had a trim waistline and slim hips. He reached up and adjusted his intricately tied cravat, which had a diamond stickpin in the folds. Melody lowered her flushed cheeks in embarrassment, realizing that she had been staring at this tall, muscular man in front of her, and she did not want him to think that she was too forward. As he approached her, he straightened his deep blue superfine dress coat and gazed directly into her eyes.

  “Who are you? Why have I never seen you before?” He ran his fingers through his thick red gold hair, which just brushed his collar as he continued, “I know that I shouldn’t be talking to you, but you look so lovely standing here against this glorious night. You take my breath away.” He shifted, and his embroidered blue waistcoat glimmered in the moonlight. “I’m Henry Montgomery, by the way, and may I ask your name?”

  Melody lifted her gaze, met his startling blue eyes, and answered, “My name is Melody Canterfield-Smyth, but we haven’t been formally introduced, so I shouldn’t be talking to you. I need to return to the ballroom now, before my aunt realizes I’m missing. Excuse me, sir.” Melody stepped around him with haste and returned to the ballroom. As she entered, she immediately felt the heat of hundreds of beeswax candles in the crystal chandeliers. Between the scent of all the candles and the heavily perfumed guests, it almost stifled her.

  Henry followed her with his eyes and could not imagine that anyone could be so lovely. As she hurried through the crowd, she tucked a lock of her beautiful honey blonde hair back into the curls that cascaded down her shoulders in ringlets. He noticed how her pale iridescent skin glowed in the candlelight. As he watched, he realized that her figure was just slightly plump, but in all the right places, just the type of woman that had always attracted him. As she moved through the crowd, he saw that she was very petite, probably not more than five feet tall. She had such an air of innocence about her that it made him feel protective of her, and he would not want to do anything to damage her reputation. This was someone he definitely wanted to get to know better, so he decided to find someone who could formally introduce them. He lost sight of her as she disappeared into the crowd.

  As Henry scanned the room, looking for her, he found her standing with Lady Walton and walked over so she could handle the introduction for him. He said, “Lady Walton, so good to see you tonight. Thank you for inviting me to your ball. I hope I find you in good health. Could I ask you to introduce me to your lovely companion?”

  “I’m pleased you could attend this evening, my lord. I am indeed in very good health. Thank you for asking. I would be happy to introduce you. Lord Montgomery, this is Miss Melody Canterfield-Smyth from Lincolnshire. Her father is Vicar Canterfield-Smyth of Little Smythington parish. Melody, this is Lord Henry Montgomery. He is one of the Duke of Sanderford’s sons,” Lady Walton explained.

  Melody curtsied, briefly glanced up at him and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”

  He gazed at Melody and smiled as he said, “I would be honored if you would dance with me. Is this one open?” The thought of holding her in his arms, as they waltzed, excited him. He certainly hoped she would say yes.

  Melody met his gaze and said, “It just so happens that this dance is available, and it would be my pleasure to dance with you.”

  Henry took Melody’s hand, and he immediately felt a connection to her, stronger than he had ever felt before. He walked her onto the dance floor, and they took their places. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her waist as the orchestra started the early strains of the waltz. It was as if they were meant to be together as they floated across the floor. They gazed into each other’s eyes, and everyone else on the dance floor disappeared because he had eyes only for her. Henry realized he was staring at Melody, and he cleared his throat as he huskily said, “You’re as lovely in candlelight as you were in the moonlight. I’m glad you were free for this dance, and may I say, you dance divinely. Miss Canterfield-Smyth, I have recently returned from the war on the continent, and I’m on an extended leave from my regiment, the Second Rifle Brigade. It’s too bad that the season is almost over, because I would certainly like to get to know you better. Would you be free tomorrow afternoon? I’d like to take you for a drive in my curricle.”

  Melody looked up at him and replied, “I’d be delighted to go for a drive with you. If you would like, you could pick me up tomorrow at four o’clock. Do you know my aunt, Lady Helton? She lives on Upper Brook Street.”

  “I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Lady Helton, but I know where she lives and four o’clock would be perfect.” When the dance ended, Henry escorted her over to Lady Walton, who was standing with another woman of middle years. Melod
y whispered to Henry that he would need to meet her aunt, so he could ask her permission for the drive.

  As they stopped in front of the woman, Melody said, “Hello, Aunt Miriam. I would like to introduce you to Lord Montgomery. He has asked me to go driving with him tomorrow.”

  Lady Helton beamed as she replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord. I’ve met your parents on several occasions through the years. I’m sure that my niece will be in good hands on your drive tomorrow.”

  They stood there chatting for a while, and then Henry turned to Melody and bowed as he said, “Thank you for the dance, Miss Canterfield-Smyth, and I look forward to our drive tomorrow afternoon. If you’ll excuse me, I’m due to meet some friends of mine in the card room. I shall take my leave now.”

  Melody watched as Henry moved through the crowd and left the ballroom. She could not get over how handsome he was. She felt an odd flutter in her stomach, something she had never experienced before.

  Aunt Miriam excitedly turned to Melody and said, “I do believe you have caught his eye. He is very acceptable and appears to be very interested in you, dear. It would be wonderful if you have truly caught his eye. This would be an excellent match for you.”

  With an exasperated expression on her sweet face, Melody said, “It’s too soon to be speaking of a match, since we have only just met, Aunt Miriam. Do you think we could leave? I’m ready to go back to your house, if that is all right with you?”

  “Of course, darling, I’m ready to leave also. Just let me have my coach brought around while you go get your wrap.” Melody made her way through the crowd and left the ballroom. Miriam turned to Lady Walton and asked, “How did they meet? Do you know?”

  Lady Walton smiled, nodded her head, and replied, “Lord Montgomery asked me to introduce them, and since I knew you would approve, I did.”

  “This is a very interesting turn of events. Well, I had better hurry so we can leave. I need to get my dear girl home so she can dream of her new beau!” Aunt Miriam laughed. “Good night, Lady Walton, I’ll see you tomorrow for tea, as usual.”

  Melody was very quiet on their way back home. Aunt Miriam asked, “You seem distracted. Is it because you are so excited over meeting Lord Montgomery? He is such an attractive young man.”

  Melody sighed and shifted in her seat as she said, “I wish you would not keep on about this. As I mentioned earlier, it’s too soon to be talking about a match, because we’ve only just met. I know that you want me to meet someone and fall in love, but I believe that it takes time to form an attachment.”

  Miriam smiled with a knowing look as she replied, “I just want you to be happy, and there does seem to be an instant attraction between the two of you. This would be wonderful, because even though Lord Montgomery is a second son, he is still in line for the title. Just think! You could actually end up a duchess. Even if that does not happen, it would still be a very good match for you and in your first season. Oh, Melody, your parents will be so pleased.”

  Melody hated to see her aunt get so excited over her meeting Lord Montgomery, but she knew it would not do any good to tell her to stop dreaming about it. Aunt Miriam did this every time an attractive gentleman showed an interest in her. For the first time … Melody was interested. She hoped that her aunt was right about Lord Montgomery, but she would never tell her that, because then her aunt would really start dreaming of wedding bells.

  The coach pulled up to their house, and the footman came down the steps and helped them out of the carriage. As they were entering the house, Melody turned to her aunt and said, “I think I’ll retire for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Aunt Miriam patted her on the arm as she said, “Good night, my sweet girl. Pleasant dreams!”

  Melody climbed the stairs and made her way to her bedchamber. Millie was waiting in her room, and soon, she was in her night rail and ready for bed. She thanked Millie and sent her off. As she lay there, she started thinking about the evening. Her mind went back to her meeting with Lord Montgomery. He was such an attractive man. While they were dancing, she felt shivers run up and down her arms as he held her for their dance. She wondered what it would be like to have someone like him love her. Could this be the one for her? She had never felt so attracted to anyone as she was to Lord Montgomery. Well, it was too soon to be thinking about love. After all, she had just met him tonight. Soon, Melody drifted off to sleep as she dreamed of seeing Lord Montgomery the next afternoon.

  The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed and slightly giddy over the thought of seeing Lord Montgomery that afternoon. She wondered if he had thought of her, as she had been thinking of him. But Melody was very practical, so she told herself to not be so silly. This probably was just a passing fancy, and soon she would forget all about him. Besides, she had quite a few things planned for the day. She was not going to woolgather all day like some silly young girl. After all, even though this was her first season, she was twenty. She was a woman with more important things to do than daydream about someone who would probably move on to someone else anyway. Just because he was so interested last night, did not mean that he would continue to be interested.

  Melody got up and went about her morning ablutions. She picked out her new day dress, which was made of white linen with a pink sash just below the bodice and a matching pink flounce at the hem. Millie helped her dress, did her hair, and soon she was ready to start her day. She was due at St. Mark’s Orphanage that morning at eleven o’clock, and she looked forward to playing with all the sweet little children. She was so pleased that she found the orphanage to devote her time to, since it was such a worthwhile cause. Melody also needed to go to the bookseller to see if that new Minerva Press novel had arrived yet. She was an avid reader, and it was one of her most favorite past times. Once she started reading a good book, she would get so wrapped up in the story that she found it hard to put down.

  Melody went down to the breakfast room and selected her usual toast and cherry preserves, with a nice cup of hot chocolate. She looked longingly at all the wonderful pastries, but she knew that she needed to forgo them since she was trying to slim down a bit. She felt she was a little too plump and wanted to look more like the other slender girls she had met since coming to London. So as much as she would have enjoyed the pastries, she passed them up. Melody thought again about meeting Lord Montgomery. She wondered if he liked the typical tall, slender, pale blondes that were so in fashion. If so, he could not be serious about her. After all, she was none of those things; she was very short, barely five feet tall and too round to be in fashion. She needed to quit thinking about him. This was just wasting valuable time, but oh, he had been so handsome! Of course, being handsome was not everything. Personality was just as important, if not more so, because good looks would fade over time.

  Miriam entered the breakfast room, and as she filled her plate, she turned to Melody and asked, “Are you going to the orphanage again today? I really think you are spending too much of your time there, Melody. By the way, don’t forget to go to the dressmaker to pick up your new riding habit. It should be ready today.”

  “Oh, goodness, Aunt Miriam, I forgot all about that. What time do I need to be there?” she asked.

  “You should to be there by one o’clock and don’t be late, because you’ll need to be home in plenty of time to get ready for your drive with Lord Montgomery. You need to be sure you make a good impression on him this afternoon. I’m so pleased that he has shown an interest in you. He is considered to be a very well-thought-of young man,” Aunt Miriam said. “He was in the army, you know, during the war with France. I’m so glad that war is finally over, and that awful Bonaparte is safely locked away on the island of Elba. It’s incredibly sad that so many of our fine young men were lost in that terrible war. I just hate to see all those other young men who came back wounded, with missing limbs and eyes and such. It’s just terrible. Oh, I hate war! I know you were devastated about losing your dear cousin Herbert last year, bu
t at least we have finally defeated that nasty Bonaparte! I wonder what Lord Montgomery is going to do now that the war has ended?”

  Melody smiled and said, “He mentioned this to me last night, as we were dancing. He said he was on an extended leave and would soon be going to his family in Surrey. After his leave is up, he’ll be rejoining his regiment. He mentioned that he eventually plans to sell his commission, but he wants to help his men get settled back into civilian life, first. How do you know so much about Lord Montgomery?”

  Melody’s aunt looked knowingly at her and said, “Oh, I have my ways. I know all about his family. After all, they are very good ton. His father, the Duke of Sanderford is very prominent in the House of Lords, and their family goes back to William the Conqueror. But, of course, your family is very well respected, if not as prominent as his. Yes, indeed, this would be a very fine match for you, my girl!”

  Melody stood up and turned to leave the breakfast room as she said, “Aunt, please don’t get your hopes up. I’m sure that nothing will come of this. It’s not as if I’m a great beauty, and I really am just a simple country girl. I don’t want you to be disappointed. I’m certainly not going to get too excited about anything at this point.”

  A footman entered the breakfast room and politely said, “Excuse me, my lady, but there is a delivery for Miss Canterfield-Smyth.”

  Melody looked up in astonishment as her aunt asked, “What is it Charles? Do you know who the delivery is from?”

  “It’s a bouquet of yellow roses, and I believe that the livery belongs to the Duke of Sanderford, my lady. Where would you like me to put them?” asked the footman.

  “Well, bring them in here, of course, so we can admire them, Charles!” Aunt Miriam said. “Oh, this is wonderful, Melody. I told you he was interested. This is so exciting. I just know this is going to be something wonderful for you.”